Another goblin charged in. In a moment this one too was flying faster and enjoying it less. Godiva had no mercy on her own kind! But if she could handle only one at a time, that wand wouldn't help much when the main body of the horde arrived. That could explain how Che had gotten taken by the horde in the first place.

Dolph finally made it to his feet. Now he could do something about the goblins himself. But he didn't want to step on them; they would squish under his feet and be all messy. So he simply forged forward, shoving trees out of the way, and left the goblins behind.

The horde did not give up. The goblins followed, more and more of them appearing as they came in from left and right. Dolph could see them back there when he turned his head. But all they had was sticks and stones, and there were not enough to break his bones. So he moved slowly onward, though to the goblins it was a swift pace.

"Now we can sleep," Electra said. "What a relief!"

"What a relief!" Godiva echoed.

Soon all of them were silent. They were sleeping. Dolph had been up all night, too, but he couldn't sleep. Well, maybe his turn would come later.

"Pretty dull, eh?"

It was Media. For once he was glad of her company. It would help keep him alert. But he knew better than to let her know that. "Are you still here?" he asked with simulated irritation. "Everything's been decided, so you might as well float off by yourself."

"Nothing's been decided," she asserted. "Once you deliver the sacrificial foal to the gobs, the real fun will begin. Just wait till the winged monsters arrive!"

"What winged monsters?" he asked, looking nervously around. A flying dragon could swoop low on a strafing run and toast his passengers. That would be a problem.

"The ones Cheiron Centaur is gathering to rescue his foal. They won't equivocate around, you know."

"They won't what?"

"Sidestep, hedge, weasel, shuffle, feline paws—"

"Pussyfoot?"

"Whatever. They will demolish that Goblin Mountain tunnel by tunnel. That's a show I wouldn't miss for anything!"

She was probably right. Chex Centaur was a relatively gentle creature, seldom getting her tail in an uproar. But her mate, Cheiron, was a stallion, and he brooked little if any interference in his business. His foal was certainly his business! "There will be abyss to pay!" Dolph muttered.

"What to pay?"

"Blazes, underworld, Hades—"

"Oh no you don't!" she said, laughing. "You won't get me to tell you that bad word you want! I know you don't know it."

"Darn!" he swore.

"Mend, sew, repair?" she asked solicitously.

"Will you go away, you—you whatever?!"

"Of course not, sweetie. I love tormenting you. I think I'll drop in on your wedding night and watch you try to figure out how to summon the stork."

"Stork?"